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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28301397">so, he waited</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/merthurmagic025/pseuds/merthurmagic025'>merthurmagic025</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5.13 coda, Angst, Gen, Horn of Cathbad, MOOC, Post 5.13, Post Finale, Sad, horn of cathbadh, merlin waiting, merlinmas 2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:23:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>248</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28301397</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/merthurmagic025/pseuds/merthurmagic025</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin uses the Horn of Cathbad to try to contact Arthur after his death, but he can't be reached.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>merlinoutofcontext merlinmas holiday fest</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>so, he waited</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the final day (day 12) of the Merlinmas 2020 thingy on the mooc discord!</p><p>Happy anniversary everyone XD</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Merlin brought the Horn to his lips, breaths coming fast and hard. The Horn of Cathbad… It conjured memories of happier times. Traveling to the Great Stones of Nemeton with Arthur had been a stressful and arduous journey, but at least Arthur had been there. His company was all Merlin asked for. He could tolerate never speaking to him again, but if he could just feel his presence alongside him… He took a deep breath, and blew.</p><p> </p><p>A beat.</p><p> </p><p>A breath.</p><p> </p><p>The trees around him rustled in the breeze, sighing their apologies. Nothing had happened. The Horn hadn’t worked. </p><p> </p><p>Arthur… couldn’t be reached.</p><p> </p><p>Merlin felt tears pooling in his eyes. This had been his last idea, his last ditch effort to contact Arthur. He was gone, really and truly gone, and Merlin just had to hope that Kilgarrah hadn’t been lying when he’d said Arthur would return.</p><p> </p><p>But then, a spark of hope formed in him. If Arthur couldn’t be reached by the Horn of Cathbad, then… he wasn’t <em> in </em> the spirit world. He was… somewhere else. <em> Waiting </em> somewhere else, <em> alive</em>. Or, existing somehow between life and death.</p><p> </p><p>A shaky breath exited Merlin’s chest, and he steeled himself with new resolve. This had proven it - <em> proven, really? It could mean any number of things really, but- yes, proven, of course it was proof. It </em> needs <em> to be proof </em> - and Merlin knew what he had to do now. </p><p> </p><p>So, he waited.</p><p> </p><p>And waited.</p><p> </p><p>And waited.</p><p> </p><p>For his king’s return.</p>
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